Fire-alarm and sprinkler operating apparatus.



A. MARCANTE.

FIRE ALARM AND SPRINKLER OPERAHNG APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1912. ,RENEWED SEPT. 14. 1914.

1,140,837. Patent-ed May 25, 1915,

awumto'a #059 720 fi/arcaniek Wane/0M0 UNITED STATES PATENT UFFIGE.

ANTONIO MARCANTE, F PATERSON, NEW" JERSEY.

FIRE-ALARM AND SPRINKLER QPERATING APEARATUS.

Application filed March 30, 1912, Serial No. 687,389. Renewed September 14, 1914.

T 0 all whom, it may concern Be it known that 1, ANTONIO IVIARCANTE, a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful. Improvement in Fire-Alarm and Sprinkler Operating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire alarm and sprinkler operating apparatus, and has for its object to provide simple and effective means comprising a normally open electric circuit having therein an electric operated alarm, a pair of spring actuated short-circuiting jaws mounted on the wires in said circuit and held normally in inoperative position by a readily fusible material, whereby when said material melts said jaws automatically close on the wires to short circuit the system and actuate the alarm.

A further object of the invention is to provide in combination, a normally closed sprinkler system the flow of the extinguishing fluid from which is controlled by an electrically operated motor in the same circuit with the alarm, whereby when the electrical circuit is closed by the means above described, the motor is energized and the sprinkler system is put in operation simu taneously with the sounding of the alarm.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully. de-

scribed and particularly pointed outin the appended claim.

()fthe accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a diagi ammatie View illustrating a portion of a sprinkler system and an electric circuit including means for automatieally operating said system and also for sounding an alarm when a fire occurs. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating a spring actuated member applied to the circuit wires, the same being held open or in inoperative position by a block of readily fusible material. Fig. is a sectional end view of the spring actuated member show ing the jaws closed onto the wires shortcircuiting the current.

Referring to the drawing, and 11 designate a pair of spaced apart parallel electric wires, which receive current from the source of energy 12 and may be extended around through walls and ceilings of any room or in any place where it is desired to detect the first existence of fire. In this cir- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ilfay rare.

Serial No. 861,76

cult is placed an alarm. 13, preferably that of a bell, but any audible signal adapted to be operated by an electric current may be employed for this purpose. At intervals along these wires 1 have removed the insulation as at 1515, see Fig. 2, and have placed opposite said exposed portions, and to register therewith, a spring actuated device which preferably consists of a spring jaw 16 having a metallic band 17 extending across the inner face of the same and have connected this spring jaw to a lower fixed jaw 18 by means of the screws 19, and as the wires 10 and 11 pass along between these jaws it will be seen that the member itself is also secured in position on these wires by means of the screws 19 which serve also to bind one end of the jaws together. ln order to retain the jaws in normally open position a block 20 of any desired readily fusible material is placed between them which material may be arranged to fuse or melt at any desired temperature permitting the jaws to close and cause the metallic band 17 to engage and short circuit said wires.

Another feature of my present invention is the connecting of this electrically operated alarm system to include in the circuit a motor 21 which may be in the form of a solenoid shown, or in any other suitable form, whereby when the same is energized by the short-circuiting in the manner above described, the current from the source of energy 12, or any other desired source, will act upon the motor 21 to withdraw tile lever 22 and permit the weighted valve arm 23 to fall and open the valve 23 and so permit the water or extinguishing fluid to pass through the pipe 25 and out of the various outlets or sprinklers Qtlalong said pipe into the room for the purpose of automatically extinguishing the blaze.

By my improved fire alarm and sprinkler opcnting apparatus it will be seen that as soon as a fire starts and heat is raised to a certain temperature, it is bound to come in contact with one or more of the various spring actuated circuit closures distributed along the wires 10 and 11, in which the circuit is normally open. The jaws of these circuit closures being normally held apart by readily fusible material the heat will. at once melt and remove this fusible material permitting the jaws to close upon the wires immediately short-eircuitin the same causing the alarm to sound and so notify the occupants of the house of the existence of fire and also will simultaneously operate through the motor 21 to release the fluid in the pipe 25 to flow through the various sprinklers in the room or rooms and so quickly and automatically extinguish the blaze I claim: In fire alarm apparatus, an electric circuit, a block, a spring actuated jaw clamped with said block to said circuit Wires, a readily fusible material between said jaw and memes? block for holding the jaw normally open, whereby when said material fuses said jaw is actuated to close'upon and short circuit said wires to operate said alarm. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANTONIO MARCANTE.

Witnesses SEcoNDo AIMONE, I Amrmoo' FONTANELLA.

topics or this patent may be obtained for fiveeents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Waahtegton, it G. s 

